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Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Top footballers afraid to speak out against playing too many games, says FIFPro chief
Fifa hailed the US Club World Cup, but FIFPro warned it worsens player fatigue amid an already congested calendar. (EPA Images pic) AMSTERDAM : Top footballers are afraid to speak out against playing too many matches for fear of the impact it could have on their careers, the secretary-general of global players' union FIFPro said on Friday. Alex Phillips was speaking after FIFPro held a meeting in Amsterdam with 58 national player unions from around the world to discuss concerns over the way the sport's world governing body Fifa is managing global football. The meeting came less than two weeks after the end of the first 32-team Club World Cup in the US, a tournament hailed as a huge success by Fifa president Gianni Infantino but criticised by FIFPro for the demands it has placed on players already faced with a crowded schedule. 'Before the Club World Cup, I was speaking to some of the top stars, and they were saying they hadn't had a rest for 'X' amount of time,' Phillips said. 'One of them even said, 'I'll only get a rest when I get injured.'. Others were resigned actually, and cynical about speaking up. 'Then you see some of the same players two weeks later having to record social media videos saying, 'We think the Club World Cup is great,' because their employers are telling them to do it. 'You have this contradictory situation where players can't speak up. They are in an invidious position. They can speak up but it might have consequences.' FIFPro said that Fifa's recent focus on the Club World Cup in the US was an example of the body ignoring many fundamentally more important issues facing players around the world. 'It is unacceptable for an organisation that claims global leadership to turn a blind eye to the basic needs of the players,' FIFPro said in a statement, notably citing the 'overloaded' match calendar, heat concerns at the Club World Cup and an 'ongoing disregard for players' social rights'. FIFPro Europe filed a complaint with the European Commission last year accusing Fifa of abusing its position with regard to its handling of the international match calendar. The summit hosted by the union on Friday came after it was left out of a meeting held by Fifa on the eve of the recent Club World Cup final. Sergio Marchi, the Argentinian president of FIFPro, this week slammed Infantino's leadership of Fifa and accused him of running an 'autocracy' in an interview with The Athletic. Fifa hit back at FIFPro in a statement on Friday as it called for dialogue 'with legitimate bodies that put player welfare first' and said it had tried unsuccessfully to get the union to attend its meeting in New York on July 12. 'Fifa is extremely disappointed by the increasingly divisive and contradictory tone adopted by FIFPro leadership,' the Zurich-based organisation said. 'This approach clearly shows that rather than engaging in constructive dialogue, FIFPro has chosen to pursue a path of public confrontation,' which aims to preserve 'their own personal positions and interests'.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
FIFA accuse players' union of 'grandstanding' and 'blackmail' in forceful defence of Club World Cup - after claims Gianni Infantino was 'turning a blind eye to players' needs
FIFA has launched a stinging rebuke of FIFPro, world players' union, accusing the organisation of 'grandstanding', 'blackmail' and 'operating in opacity' over their financial accounts. The remarkable statement from the sport's top governing body indicted FIFPro for its 'series of personal and disrespectful attacks' and claimed its criticisms of FIFA suggest their leadership 'does not really care about the players'. It marks a deterioration in relations between the two bodies that have been at odds amid the ever increasing football calendar and issues over player welfare. 'FIFPRO has chosen to pursue a path of public confrontation driven by artificial PR battles - which have nothing to do with protecting the welfare of professional players but rather aim to preserve their own personal positions and interests,' said a FIFA spokesman on Friday evening. 'The global football community deserves better. Players deserve better.' FIFA's lambast of the organisation which represents 66,000 men's and women's players around the world, followed claims by Alex Phillips, the general secretary of FIFPro, that stars are worried about potential backlash from clubs and governing bodies. FIFPro believes that FIFA has adopted an 'autocratic' approach to its governance under president Gianni Infantino and accused the body of ignoring players' needs. 'It is unacceptable for an organisation that claims global leadership to turn a blind eye to the basic needs of the players,' said FIFPro following a meeting of 58 player unions in Amsterdam on Friday. 'One clear example of this disconnect was the recent Club World Cup, celebrated by president Infantino despite being held under conditions that were extreme and inappropriate for any human being, demonstrating a troubling insensitivity to human rights, even when it concerns elite athletes.' Players have raised concerns about their lack of rest, caused by the number of matches they are required to play, which has only increased with the introduction of the revamped Club World Cup this summer. Chelsea were crowned winners of the tournament on July 13 after beating Paris Saint-Germain in a final which took place just 35 days before the start of their Premier League campaign. Ahead of the final of the competition, FIFA held a meeting to address concerns over player welfare and a minimum three-week off-season break was agreed. However, it is understood than no FIFPro representatives were invited and it has therefore been seen as a charade by the organisation. Though, FIFA insist that the measures agreed at the gathering, which also included a mandatory minimum 72 hours of rest between matches, prove their seriousness to address concerns and 'go beyond what FIFPRO has been pretending to be asking for'. 'Instead of welcoming these unprecedented announcements that benefit players all around the world, FIFPRO has responded with a series of personal and disrespectful attacks,' A FIFA spokesman continued. 'This approach reveals a lot about FIFPRO priorities. It suggests that their leadership does not really care about the players, but rather about internal political fights and their image. 'FIFA's proposed reforms are about impacting genuine change to support players and are far more important than preserving FIFPRO's perceived image. 'FIFPRO, regrettably, has consistently refused to engage constructively in these efforts. Instead of contributing meaningfully, they have opted for theatrical denunciations, prioritising media headlines over measurable progress for the players they claim to represent.' Earlier this month, FIFPro president Sergio Marchi accused FIFA of choosing to 'continue increasing its income at the expense of the players' bodies and health', likened its approach to the 'bread and circuses' tactics used by Emperor Nero in ancient Rome and warned there could be no repeat of playing matches in such extreme heat at next summer's World Cup, which is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico. On Friday, FIFA cited 'the introduction of five substitutions' and 'concussion substitutes' among other 'wide-ranging measures' it claims has better supported players, claiming these to be more substantive that anything achieved by FIFPro. 'These are not vague promises or grandstanding but are real and tangible actions,' added the FIFA spokesman. 'As FIFPRO is interested in addressing matters such as good governance, maybe they would want to consider publishing their own statutes and releasing transparent annual accounts, to ensure that what is being preached is also being practiced. 'Let us be clear: you cannot preach transparency while operating in opacity. The reality is this: FIFA remains firmly committed to placing players at the core of football's future, not just in words, but through concrete regulation and reform. 'FIFA invites all genuine representatives of players to join us in that work - not by attacking from the sidelines, but by participating in transparent, solution-focused dialogue. 'Therefore, FIFA invites FIFPRO to return to the negotiating table, once they have stopped their blackmail and withdrawn their complaints, and once they have published their statutes, their full financial reports (including all their sources of income, the detailed intellectual property rights of the players they claim to own, and the funding one of their regional divisions receives from some football organisations), and the full list of individual members they claim to represent.'
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
FifPro release scathing statement against Fifa president Gianni Infantino: ‘The man who thinks he's god'
FifPro, the world's main player union, has branded Gianni Infantino as 'the man who thinks he's god' in a tirade against the Fifa president and the Club World Cup. The inaugural rendition of the revamped tournament has come under heavy criticism for the increased strain it's put on players, further packing an already crammed football calendar. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue in the United States. Advertisement However, The Independent understands FifPro were not invited to a meeting that Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health' ahead of the Club World Cup final. The player union has responded with a scathing statement that lambasts Infantino for 'silencing' the game's key protagonists. 'While the recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament, FifPro cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world,' the statement read. 'What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by Fifa, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts. A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness, and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen.' Advertisement FifPro has called for Fifa to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year's World Cup, which will also be held in the United States alongside Canada and Mexico. 'The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players' physical safety at risk,' the statement adds. 'This situation must not only be denounced, but must be firmly warned against. What happened cannot be repeated under any circumstances at next year's Fifa World Cup. 'At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from Fifa. This way of organizing tournaments, without listening to the Federation that represents the world's professional footballers' associations, is unilateral, authoritarian, and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability. We cannot continue to play with the health of players to fuel a marketing machine. 'There is no spectacle possible if the voices of the protagonists are silenced. At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the center of every decision.' The Club World Cup culminates on Sunday as Chelsea face off against PSG in the tournament's final, held at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. Fifa have been contacted for comment.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
FifPro release scathing statement against Fifa president Gianni Infantino: ‘The man who thinks he's god'
FifPro, the world's main player union, has branded Gianni Infantino as 'the man who thinks he's god' in a tirade against the Fifa president and the Club World Cup. The inaugural rendition of the revamped tournament has come under heavy criticism for the increased strain it's put on players, further packing an already crammed football calendar. The heat of midday fixtures in the United States has been an additional player welfare issue in the United States. However, The Independent understands FifPro were not invited to a meeting that Infantino staged on Saturday over 'key issues concerning player health' ahead of the Club World Cup final. The player union has responded with a scathing statement that lambasts Infantino for 'silencing' the game's key protagonists. 'While the recent Club World Cup generated enthusiasm among numerous fans and allowed some of the world's leading figures to be seen in a single tournament, FifPro cannot fail to point out, with absolute clarity, that this competition hides a dangerous disconnect with the true reality experienced by most footballers around the world,' the statement read. 'What was presented as a global celebration of football was nothing more than a fiction created by Fifa, promoted by its president, without dialogue, sensitivity, and respect for those who sustain the game with their daily efforts. A grandiloquent staging inevitably reminiscent of the 'bread and circuses' of Nero's Rome, entertainment for the masses while behind the scenes inequality, precariousness, and the lack of protection for the true protagonists deepen.' FifPro has called for Fifa to learn from the shortcomings of the Club World Cup ahead of next year's World Cup, which will also be held in the United States alongside Canada and Mexico. 'The tournament was held under unacceptable conditions, with matches played at extremely hot times and in temperatures that put the players' physical safety at risk,' the statement adds. 'This situation must not only be denounced, but must be firmly warned against. What happened cannot be repeated under any circumstances at next year's Fifa World Cup. 'At FifPro, we have been warning about the overcrowded schedule, the lack of physical and mental rest for players, and the lack of dialogue from Fifa. This way of organizing tournaments, without listening to the Federation that represents the world's professional footballers' associations, is unilateral, authoritarian, and based solely on a logic of economic profitability, not human sustainability. We cannot continue to play with the health of players to fuel a marketing machine. 'There is no spectacle possible if the voices of the protagonists are silenced. At FifPro, we reiterate our commitment: we will firmly defend every right, denounce every abuse, and demand that Fifa adopt a truly inclusive policy that respects the integrity of footballers and places them at the center of every decision.'
The Guardian
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
‘Pointless' Club World Cup is football's worst idea ever, says Jürgen Klopp
Jürgen Klopp, the former Liverpool manager, has criticised the introduction of the expanded Club World Cup format, calling it the worst idea ever implemented in football. In an interview with German newspaper Die Welt, Klopp said the tournament would put more strain on an already packed calendar for the players. The expanded format features a 32-team event held every four years in the summers between major international tournaments. 'It's a pointless competition,' Klopp said. 'Whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they'll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league,' Klopp said. 'There are people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas.' Klopp pointed out that today's players are getting less and less time to rest, warning that adding another tournament was potentially dangerous for their health. 'It's too many games. I fear that next season we will see injuries like never before. If not then, they'll come during or after the Club World Cup,' the German said. 'There's no real recovery for those involved, neither physically nor mentally.' Klopp, who ended his highly successful nine-year stint with Liverpool in 2024, is now head of global football for Red Bull, the owners of several clubs including RB Leipzig and New York Red Bulls. Red Bull Salzburg exited at the group stage of this summer's Club World Cup. Klopp was also asked if he would like to coach again. 'I don't want that any more. I have a job now that fulfils me and is also intense. I don't sleep in the morning and I don't go to bed later at night, but I can organise my work much better,' he said.
